Do You Like Anything? (December 7, 2003)

I am indebted to a fellow student in seminary who noted my tendency to "go negative" in my sermon illustrations. If I wanted to make a point about, say, humility, I'd refer to someone being proud and condemn that rather than someone being humble and praise that.

It was a point well taken, and it re-occurred to me as I reflected on the fact that my last two Pastor's Pages were in the attack mode, first ripping drug abuse and then venting on sloppy evangelical jargon. I meant every word I wrote - but I also want to acknowledge that there is a time to talk about things that are good and wonderful and delightful. Paul said, "Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things." (Philippians 4:8).

One of my favorite scenes in literature is in The Catcher in the Rye where Phoebe Caulfield challenges her brother Holden to say something he likes, and he has the hardest time coming up with anything. He has lived so long in a state of hate that the attempt to shift from contempt to appreciation knocks him completely off balance.

It shouldn't knock us off balance to talk about things we like. So, I am going to pretend Phoebe Caulfield has just asked me to name some things I love, and respond with a quick list.

I love watching a mature individual defuse a tense situation.
I love seeing a person of limited ability give an all-out effort.
I love hearing someone commend a worthy man or woman.
I love playing basketball with a sharp point guard who knows how to find me coming off a screen.
I love hearing a child (or someone child-like) talk about something they love.

I just asked my wife the Phoebe Caulfield question, and she had a good one:

"Chinese food."